Happy Birthday Carter!
by I-Live-Outside-The-Box
Summary: A day in the life of Carter Kane. Except it's his birthday so don't be expecting anything normal. Chapter 13:Bonus Chapter
1. 1 Year Old

**Hey, fellow FanFictioners! This is a little story about Carter's birthdays. I'm going to try and do everyone up to at least The Throne of Fire. Time for the story!**

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1 Year Old

Ruby's POV

I sent Julius and our dog, Sirius in to go get Carter up. I was very exited and nervous, though I don't know why. Half of me is saying that it's only a birthday (one that he won't even remember at that), while the other half is saying that it's his first birthday. The very first. It has to be perfect.

I heard Julius talking softly to Carter, and Carter gurgling and blowing raspberries in response. I smiled to myself as I did some last minute preparations. My mind drifted slowly to the years to come, to the fuzzy images I have had over the past year. In my clearest vision, I saw my son, tall and handsome like his father. I got lost in these thoughts and jumped out of my skin when I heard a crash. I spin around quickly, holding the knife I was icing with high in the air.

Carter was sitting on the ground with a place mat covering half of his face. I look at Julius and see that he's laughing. Carter's still on the floor, flapping his arms and giggling.

"What happened?" I was in too much shock to laugh. Julius can barely get a word in, he's laughing so hard.

"Sirius, he- He jumped on th- On the table and-" Julius had a very long laughing fit there.

"And..."

"And he knocked the place mat on Carter's head." Another laughing fit.

"Well, that still doesn't explain the crash, Julius."

"I wasn't finished. Then Sirius jumped on the floor. Apparently dogs can't land on their feet." I could just imagine what that must have looked like. Before I know it, I start to laugh too until I hear Carter say, "Mommy. Cake!"

He had crawled over beside me and was sticking his hands in a cake on the floor. It took me a second to realize that I must have knocked his birthday cake on the floor. Well, that would explain the icing streak I have on my arm. Julius (who is still laughing, but not quite as hard) picks up Carter. Carter starts to yell, "No, cake! CAKE!" as Julius walks towards the sink to wash off his hands.

I start to clean up the cake on the floor. I don't want to have a dog puking everywhere due to an extremely sugary breakfast. It only takes about a minute, and as soon as I'm done, I go to the sink to clean myself off.

The first thing I hear is, "CAKE! CAAAAKE!" and I see Julius trying to clean an agitated one year old. He was fighting a lost battle.

I walk up beside my husband, whose shirt had wet spots on the front, probably from Carter flailing about yelling "cake" at the top of his lungs. I pretend to ignore the scene and quietly wash my hands and arms. I smile sweetly at Julius. "Need any help?"

"Please," was all he said and he handed Carter to me. As soon as Julius lets go of him, he stops kicking and says to me, "Mommy, where cake?" The look on his face is so serious, I have to laugh.

"We don't have anymore cake, but what we do have are pancakes! They're even better that normal cakes! Do you want some?" Carter's eyes got big at the word "pancakes" and he nods quickly. "Then you'll have to let mommy wash you off, OK?"

"OK!" I look over at my husband, who is looking at this with a look of astonishment and amusement on his face. I tell him, "That's how you do it."

As we sit down to our birthday breakfast of pancakes, I think to myself, _"It may not have been perfect, but it was a first birthday worth remembering."_

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**Thanks for reading! I'll try and get his next birthday up soon!**


	2. 2 Years Old

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while... No inspiration and no time. School's winding down and there are a lot of banquets, and breakfasts, and ceremonies, and they're all just plain UGH! Enough about me, you're here to read. Here you go:**

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2 Years Old

Julius's POV

It was somewhere around 3 o'clock in the morning. I was up with Sadie, our newest addition to the family. She looked so small and fragile now, but I knew she was going to grow up to be a wonderful magician. More than a wonderful magician. A wonderful person. I was knew that just looking at her she would be just like her mother.

She was asleep in my arms, perfect. Neither she nor Carter knew about what they were destined to do, who they were destined to be. Ruby hadn't been sure herself, but she had seen enough to know that their children were going to face challenges that would be greater than anybody could ever imagine.

I became lost in my thoughts as I sat there holding Sadie. I looked at the clock and saw that it was 6 o'clock. "_Carter will be waking up soon,"_ I thought. A few minutes later, I heard a small thump and a door creak open. I put Sadie back in her crib and go get Carter before he goes and wakes up Ruby. She needs her sleep, especially with Sadie around now. I meet him in the hallway, going as fast as his small chubby legs can carry him. I pick him up from behind. He laughs loudly and yells, "Daddy!"

"Shh, Carter. Your mommy and sister are trying to sleep," I whisper quietly, but the damage had been done. I heard Ruby groan and roll out of bed. Then Sadie starts to cry. Well, it was time to start the day anyway.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Once everybody was up Carter and I sat down to a war. Carter was in a mood today and decided that he didn't want to have breakfast. I kept trying to get him to eat his food and he kept trying to eat mine.

"Carter, you won't like coffee. You're too young to have it anyway," I said as Carter tried to stick his fingers in my coffee.

"Hot chocolate, no coffee." He was struggling in his high-chair, reaching as far as he could (which wasn't far) and succeeded in knocking over his bowl of vanilla yogurt. Sirius came bounding over and started cleaning up the mess. I sit in my chair and try and rub the sleep out of my eyes. Ruby walks into the dining room holding a squirming Sadie. She eyes the mess on the floor and says, "You want me to clean it up."

"Let's just let Sirius, he seems to be doing a good job."

Ruby sits down next to me and gently rocks Sadie, trying to get her to calm down. We sit there, listening to Carter's constant complaining and an occasional noise from Sadie. This is going to be a long day.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

It was a very long and uneventful day in the Kane household. The only exiting thing that happened was Carter knocking yet another plate of food to the floor. I don't know what's gotten in to that boy, but I'm hoping it'll stop soon because it's wearing Ruby and me out.

Somewhere around ten, I hear Ruby yell, "Oh gods!" I rush into the bedroom and quickly see that nothing is wrong. In fact, it's the quietest it's been all day.

"What..." I start to say.

Ruby's eyes are big. "It's Carter's birthday!"

"What? No it..." I drift off, realizing that 1) it is Carter's birthday, and 2) we completely forgot. Ruby looks on the verge of tears. I go over to her and wrap her in a hug. She starts sobbing and saying things like, "How could we forget our son's birthday?" and "I'm a horrible mother!" I gently stroke her hair, trying to think of something to say to cheer her up.

"That explains why he's been acting up lately." Ruby looks confused so I explain further. "Carter's going through his terrible twos."

Ruby laughs and hugs me back. "What should we do for him," she asks. "I feel so horrible. What kind of mother forgets her own child's birthday?"

I glance at the clock. Then I look at Ruby. She looks so worn down and tired, like she could collapse on the spot. "Something small. We can always make up for it next year. Besides, we're too tired to put any real effort into this. Give him a cookie or something. He'll probably knock it on the floor anyways."

She hesitates, but eventually gives in. "Fine," she says. "But we're doing something big next year. Throw a party and invite my parents and Amos. How does that sound?"

Inside I groan at the thought of having Ruby's parents over, but to her I say, "Sounds like a plan." She studies my face, trying to see if I mean it (she knows we don't get along), opens her mouth, then closes it. She puts her head on my chest, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. We stand there for a minute, in each others arms until we near Sadie.

Ruby starts to pull away, saying "I'll get her," but I sweep her up and carry her to the bed.

"No, you are going to sleep," I tell her. "I'll go get Sadie."

"But what if she's hungry?"

"Then I'll know where to find you," I say as I'm closing the door behind me.

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**That ended different than I expected. Now that I think about it, it wasn't about Carter at all. I don't think I did a very good job of writing Julius. I don't know, you tell me. New rule: I need, let's say, two reviews before I post the next chapter, so I know people are actually reading this and I'm not just writing this for my benefit. Sorry I didn't update earlier, I had no idea what I was going to do. I winged this chapter. Review?**


	3. 3 Years Old

**Thanks for the two reviews! People are reading this! :D So, I promised updates and here is one:**

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3 Years Old

Ruby's POV

I was nervous. VERY nervous. I kept pacing back and forth in the kitchen, thinking. Then I checked on the cake in the oven. Then I started pacing. Then I about had a heart attack. The doorbell rang.

I walk out of the kitchen and see Julius opening the door. _"Gods help me," _I pray. I'm expecting a gruff "Hello" from my dad, but instead hear Julius yell, "Amos! Nice to see you!" They say their hellos and I get even more nervous. I forgot Amos was coming. Now there's another person my parents can grumble about.

I scoop up a crawling Sadie and walk to the door. "Amos, how are you?" I say with a smile.

"Wonderful. Even better now that I get to see my niece and nephew. Hello Sadie dear," Amos smiles gently at Sadie and she claps in response. "Now where's the birthday boy? Three years old. It's going by too fast, too fast."

"Carter and I were playing hide and seek. He's somewhere around here," says Julius.

We hear barking coming from the living room. Then a small voice whispers, "Shh, Sirius. Be quiet. Daddy will find us" Another bark. Julius smiles at us and says, "Amos, would you care to sit down?"

"Why, thank you Julius." Julius and Amos walk over to the couch and sit down. I follow, carrying a strangely quiet Sadie. We all sit together, listening to the stifled giggles and the thump of a tail against the ground.

"So, Amos, how have things been in Brooklyn. We've been so busy lately, we haven't been able to visit," says Julius.

"It's been very quiet lately. Usually it's just Khufu and me. You should bring Carter over sometime, if you think he's old enough." I notice that the giggling has stopped. I realize that we're setting a trap for an unsuspecting three year old.

I play along and say, "Well, he could certainly go and visit sometime, if only we could find him. You see, he hid so well that neither Julius or I could find him. I guess we'll have to have his party without him."

"No! Mommy, Daddy, I here! I not lost! See!" Carter comes running up in front of us, Sirius at his heels. "Can we have party now?" His sudden appearance has caused us all to start laughing and we can't stop. "Why you laughing? I don't get it," says Carter, planting his hands on his hips and staring us down. Sirius is sitting next to him, wagging his tail and barking.

I immediately stop laughing when I hear the doorbell ring again. With this going on, my parents had completely slipped my mind. "Amos, can you hold Sadie while I go get the door?"

"Of course, Ruby." He gently takes Sadie. I know she's in good hands. I quickly walk to the door, mentally preparing myself. My heart is pounding in my chest. Before I met Julius, I never felt like this around my parents. I quickly came to realize that even though they accepted Julius, they would never love him. There would always be tension between them, because in their mind, he wasn't good enough. They tried, my parents and Julius. They tried to get along, and I'm happy for that. But I wish that they could see Julius the way I do. All of this runs through my head as I approach the door.

"Mum, Dad! You came!" I say warmly.

"Why wouldn't we? You invited us, didn't you?" asks my father.

"No need to act all surprised, dear. He is our grandson," my mother says lightly.I realize what's been bothering me since my father opened his mouth. They're being more pleasant than normal. I invite them inside and hope for the best.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

For some strange reason, no arguments broke out. Everybody treated each other nicely. When Amos and my parents left, I walked up to Julius. "How?" I ask.

"How, what?"

"You know what? You guys have never gotten along that well! Not even at our wedding!"

"It was nice for a change wasn't it?" Julius smiles down at me. I study his face.

"You guys planned this out, didn't you?"

"What do you mean, 'planned this out?' Is a family not aloud to get along?" I just stare at my husband, knowing that I'll get the answer eventually. I do. "I paid them a visit. We decided that we're going to try harder at getting along. It's the least we could do."

I give Julius a hug. "Thank you."

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**That was a weird place to end, I know. I didn't want to write the details of the whole party, in fear that I would fail epically. Anyway, if you're reading this, PLEASE REVIEW! Even if it's something small. Maybe some constructive criticism? Liked it? Loved it? Hated it? I'd like to know. You know where to button is! I( feel that Mr. and Mrs. Faust loved Carter before and after Ruby's death. Just afterwards they didn't like him. Do you get what I'm saying?)**


	4. 7 Years Old

**I know I'm updating without two reviews, but I just wanted to say, I decided I'm not doing every single birthday. I'm going to skip a few years and say that this is:**

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7 Years Old

Carter's POV

There's nothing like being sick on your birthday. I woke up this morning with a fever and an upset stomach. When Sadie found out she started laughing at me and saying, "Carter doesn't get to eat his own cake! More for me!" After, she found that her favorite toy (a stuffed cat) had disappeared. Hey, I may be sick, but that didn't mean I couldn't give my sister what she deserved.

It took about half an hour for Mom and Dad to find Sadie's toy cat. When they found it she fussed over it like it was a real cat and didn't let it out of her sight for the rest of the day. Then, Dad makes me apologize for hiding Sadie's toy! What was he thinking? I was too sick to do anything like that!

I didn't eat breakfast and could barely make myself eat a bowl of broth for lunch. Then, I had some ginger ale, because my mom said that its good for upset stomachs. I fell in love after my first sip. Everybody else just had sandwiches for lunch.

"Why aren't we eating Carter's cake? Even though he's sick its still his birthday. Everybody has to eat cake on somebody's birthday," said Sadie.

"Sadie, Carter's still too sick to eat stuff like that. We're going to wait and have his party when he feels better," said Mom. She had one of her big books out and she was writing notes in it.

"He doesn't have to eat it today. We can save some for when he gets better."

Sadie," Dad said. "You wouldn't want us to eat your birthday cake without you, would you?"

Sadie thought about that for a second before saying, "No, but I haven't had cake in a long time. How about I have a piece and the rest of you can wait until Carter feels better."

"Sadie, we are not having cake without Carter. Now please eat your lunch. I gave you extra applesauce today," Mom said. I was just listening quietly, laying on the couch with a very old Sirius laying at my feet. I fell asleep to the sound of my little sister arguing.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Later, when I'm awake, I find out that after lunch, Sadie threw up while trying to sneak a piece of cake. My dad was rinsing her off now while my mom was throwing away the cake. There's nothing like being sick on your birthday.

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**I think I have problems with endings... Anyway, I know I updated without two reviews, but I have to tell you guys not to expect frequent updates because I write my stories on a school Netbook and they're being collected next week. I didn't want to just have an Author's Note chapter, but I didn't want an especially long chapter, either. I need two reviews before the next update, but more would be appreciated. Constructive criticism please! (P.S. The Serpent's Shadow is finally out and I'm getting the book today! Yes!) Thanks for reading!**


	5. 9 Years Old

**Thanks for the reviews! They make me happy!**

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9 Years Old

I woke up in a musty smelling bed wondering, _"Where am I?" _Then I remembered. I'm somewhere in Germany. Mom was dead. Now it was just me and Dad. Not even Sadie, annoying Sadie, was here. She was in England with our grandparents. I could never think of them the same way again. Not after what happened in court between Dad and them. Stupid spatulas.

I hear a door open (probably the bathroom door) and my dad says, "Carter, come on, we're leaving soon." I sit up in bed and see my dad walking over to our open suitcases. I watched him as he packed up the few belongings we had left. Dad looked so ragged then, and I knew why. Mom. If anybody took her death the hardest, it was Dad. The only time I ever saw him cry was when he came and told us at Gran and Gramps's flat.

"Carter, I said go get ready. We need to get to the airport in half an hour. I've laid some clothes out for you." I saw a button-down shirt and khakis folded up on the nightstand. Great, just what I want to wear in the middle of summer.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

When I'm all dressed my dad gets a cab and we go to the Berlin airport. The drive from our hotel to the airport is full of awkward silences and little conversation. Occasionally, Dad will rummage through his workbag, why, I don't know. I saw him look over his shoulder a few times, looking nervous. I finally had to ask. "What are you looking for?"

The look on my dad's face is something I've never seen on his face before. He looks nervous. Quickly, he says, "Nothing, Carter. Nothing." He doesn't say anything else so I figure that the conversation's over. I go back to looking at my reflection in the window, thinking of how much my life has changed in the past few months.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The Berlin airport is hot, stuffy, and loud. A voice keeps coming over the loudspeaker, speaking, duh, German. I'm entertaining myself by trying to decipher the German signs. When my dad and I pass a food stand, I see a sign that says, _Imbiss – Heir ist das gut Eis! Es schmeckt sehr gut! _I have no clue how to pronounce half of it, yet alone what it says. I see even weirder phrases, like _der Flughafen, die Badezimmer, _and _das Gepäck._ I gave up trying to decipher them a long time ago.

We venture into a more crowded are of the airport. I grab onto the back of my dad's shirt so I don't get lost. I stop paying attention and don't see that my dad's stopped. I run into him and say, "What are you doing?" Dad's face has gone rigid and suddenly, I'm scared.

"Come on Carter," he says and grabs my hand. We quickly weave in and out of the crowd and make it to the plane before I even have time to reply. I manage to get a seat next to a window. I look out of it while we're taking off. Once we're safely off the ground, I hear Dad sigh with relief. I look over at him and he seems to relax the higher we get. Then, he slowly loosens his grip on his bag and I'm not scared anymore.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

When we land, my dad looks at me and says, "You get to decide where we eat lunch today." I look back at him, ready to say that we hardly ever eat out, even though we travel constantly. My dad smiles, one of the first I've seen in a long time. "You do remember that it's your birthday today, right?" The look on my face must have been priceless because my busts out laughing.

"I don't think I've ever known a boy who's ever forgotten his own birthday," he says with a smile.

"Didn't Mom forget my birthday once?" Immediately after I said it, I wished I hadn't. All the pain from her death washed over me. She won't tell me that story, or any, ever again.

I can see it in Dad's eyes that he feels the same way, but he keeps the smile on his face. "Yes she did Carter. So did I. But I guess I can make up for that now, reminding you of your own birthday."

I smile back at him, momentarily forgetting my situation. This is the dad I've been missing for so long.

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**I can now truthfully say that I've practiced German outside of school. My teacher would be so proud! I tried my best applying German to something other than worksheets. Here are the translations; **_Imbiss – Heir ist das gut Eis! Es schmeckt sehr gut! = Snack Bar – Here is the good icecream! It tastes very good!, __der Flughafen = the airport, die Badezimmer = the bathrooms, _and _das Gepäck = the luggage. _**Hope this helped! Since I will be updating less frequently, this leaves more times for reviews! Let's all be overachievers and say, 7! You can do it! Look for a blue button that has the word ****"review" in it somewhere, and click it! Please?**


	6. 10 Years Old

**Hey people! Sorry I haven't done anything in a while, but school is out now and I finally have time to write something! Thank you for the reviews! XD**

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10 Years Old

My dad sure knew how to draw a crowd. You'd think nobody would care to listen to somebody talk about Egyptian curses and the King Tut exhibit. But Munich had caught me by surprise by leaving the museum packed and ready to burst all because Dr. Julius Kane was speaking. A lot of the stuff he talked about made no sense to me, and I doubted I'd need to know much about it. I couldn't help learning a few things about Egyptian mythology, what with my dad doing lectures every other day, though. I knew about a lot of their gods and goddesses, monsters, and such. I'd seen my share of artifacts this past year, more than most people see in a lifetime. And judging by the looks of things, this is how my life was going to be from now on.

I was daydreaming in a chair offstage, when I heard my dad say something he'd never talked about before.

"Dr. Kane, Egyptians believed the soul to have multiple parts. Do you know anything about this?" I couldn't see who was talking, but they sounded young. Maybe they were with one of the schools.

"The soul was a big part in Egyptian life. Think of it like one hand with five fingers. One soul with five parts. Every part was different. Without all five, you would not be complete."

"What are the five parts?" This time it was somebody else talking. I could tell the crowd had renewed energy. That's saying a lot, considering we've been here for four hours.

"The first part is called the _ba_. It represents your personality. Then, the _ka, _which is the life force. The _ib_ is one's record of their good and bad deeds. That is what's weighed on the scales of justice in the afterlife. The _ren _is the sum of one's experiences, including their thoughts and secrets, good and bad. The last is the least known, and that is the _sheut_, or the shadow of the soul."

"That doesn't make sense. A s_hadow_? How is that important?" There were a few "Yeahs" from the crowd, but it got quiet fast. These people really were interested in the soul.

"Explaining this concept thoroughly would take hours, and I'm afraid we don't have the time. Thank you all for coming, and I hope you enjoyed it."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The crowd was still clapping when Dad went backstage to where I was waiting for him. He gave me a smile when he saw me and said, "Come on birthday boy, let's go look at those books you wanted." That wasn't what I was expecting, but I'm not one to complain when it comes to getting books. I followed my dad out of the museum and into the rainy summer evening.

We walked to the nearest bus stop and waited. We sat in silence for a few moments until I said, "Do I have room in my suitcase for a book?" That may sound weird, but I was allowed one suitcase to hold all of my stuff. That's why I was surprised when Dad offered.

Dad laughed at that and replied, "If you don't you can always put it in mine."

"Really?"

Dad laughed again. "Well, don't act so surprised! I am your father. Besides, you'll have something to do while I'm giving lectures. You looked bored the last few times."

"But Dad, we're in _Germany. _Will they have any books in English? You know I can't speak German."

"Carter, don't worry. If they don't, next time we're an English speaking country, we'll get you a few books there." My dad got a small twinkle in his eye. "Or, you can just learn German."

My eyes got really big and I yelled, "No!" which made the people walking by give us weird looks. Last time we were in Germany, this person started yelling at me for who knows what. Just getting yelled at by a complete stranger is scary enough, but getting yelled at in German, the language that makes everything sound like an insult... Well, you get the idea. That language has scared me since.

"Carter, the proper _German _ way to respond is '_Nein.'_ If you're going to learn, you'd better start now." Dad gave me another smile and tousled my hair to show he was joking. I saw the bus coming and felt disappointed that this moment with my dad was being interrupted.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

We got off the bus and walked a few blocks. I had no idea where we were going and how my dad knew his place around. He stops in front of a store that says, '_The Munich Readery Bookshop – Secondhand Books In English' _on the window. I look at my dad and he says, "Well, I guess you don't have to learn German, now that there's a bookstore full of books in English." He opens the door and I go inside. The amount of books in there is amazing. I look at my dad again and he nods at me. "Go pick a few," and then sits down in a leather armchair by the window.

After much debating I eventually get Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Sure, they're generally for older people, but they looked like good books. I went back to my dad and showed him the books I picked out. He smiled when I showed him The Book Thief.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

Dad just said, "Are these the ones you want to get?"

"Yeah, but why are you smiling?"

"You'll find out when you read the book, Carter." It was obvious that I wasn't going to get anything more out of him, so I dropped the subject. Only a few days later, when I started reading the book, did I realize what was so funny. There was quite a bit of German mixed in. Of course. But I got over it quickly when I became engrossed in the book. Dad couldn't get me to put it down.

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**So, I tried to make this a bit longer than the other chapters and I think it turned out well. You tell me what you thought of it. Please! :)**


	7. 11 Years Old

**Thanks for the reviews! Sorry I haven't updated lately...**

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11 Years Old

I was happy to finally be in an English speaking country. I don't think I have to explain why. If you've ever been somewhere and were surrounded by people speaking gibberish, you know what I mean. For those who don't, let's just say it's awkward and I don't like it. I like to know what's going on around me.

The one thing that might stomp out my happiness would be seeing my sister, Sadie. It's not like we hate each other, it's just... I don't know how to explain it. She lives with our grandparents and my dad and I are only allowed two days a year with her, so we're more like distant cousins than siblings. If that makes any sense. Anyway, the only reason we were visiting her on my birthday was because she was sick on our normal visiting day and our grandparents were feeling unusually nice and let us see her another day. I know, another normal day in the life of Carter Kane. Sometimes I don't know how I keep up with it all.

Yesterday, my dad and I seemed to have this secret agreement that nothing was going to be said about my birthday. I honestly could care less (to me it's just another day of the year) and I felt that Dad could do without the headache of dealing with Sadie and my birthday. I'm just nice that way.

I remember a conversation Dad and I had yesterday about how Sadie is able to argue with anybody and/or anything. He said, and I quote, "If you lock her in a room by herself, she'll end up arguing with a wall, telling it that it's painted the wrong color."

All of this runs through my head as we drive to my grandparents' flat. The driver of our taxi drops us off at the curb and my dad and I start the long walk to the door. Before we even get to the house I see Sadie come running towards us. Fine with me, cause I really have no desire to see my grandparents. It sounds horrible, I know, but after the spatula attack, it's been a kind of tense relationship. Sadie tackles Dad with a hug, and I mean, literally tackles him. Our dad's a big guy and it's not easy to knock him off balance, but somehow nine-year-old Sadie managed.

Dad smiled at her and said, "Hello Sadie."

Sadie stops hugging Dad and says, "You're late. I've been waiting for hours for you to come!" She had this weird look on her face like she was trying to be mad, but couldn't help smiling a bit. Typical Sadie for you. Can't ever decide if she's happy we're (mostly Dad) here, or mad that we're (once again, mostly Dad) late. Maybe we'll get lucky and our plane will be on time. And maybe the Egyptian gods ARE real. Please.

"Our flight was delayed. There was going to be some bad weather in Italy."

"You say that every time. I don't think you've ever been on time for Visitation Day!" Sadie's expression was starting to look more annoyed, but she still had a goofy smile on her face.

Dad just smiled at her and said, "Well, let's not spend the rest of the day arguing about it." Sadie just gave a little huff, took Dad's hand, and the three of us started walking to the taxi. This image of Sadie yelling at a wall pops in my head and I start laughing. Sadie looks at me and asks, "What?" which is the first thing she's said to me for six months. Like I said, more like distant cousins than siblings.

"Nothing, it's nothing," I say when I can talk. I look at my dad and he's smiling to himself.

"If it really was nothing, you wouldn't be laughing."

"It was nothing Sadie."

"No, it was something."

I hesitate. "Do you really want to know?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I want to know!"

"Well..."

"Spit it out!"

I looked at Dad. He was laughing to himself, clearly remembering our conversation yesterday. Sadie follows my gaze. Her eyes narrow. "What. Is. So. Funny!" This just causes us to laugh more and we're still laughing when we get into the taxi. Eventually, Sadie joins in, still clueless on why we're all laughing in the first place.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The rest of the day seems to go by pretty fast. We didn't really do anything worth telling, just normal family stuff that you'd see a normal family doing. And we all know that the Kanes are far from that.

It's around eight o'clock when Sadie has to go home. We were eating supper when Dad got an angry phone call from our grandparents. That definitely signified the end of Visitation Day. In the taxi ride back to their flat, we all decided it would be best if Sadie walked up to the house by herself.

We said our goodbyes at the curb. Sadie gave Dad a very long hug and then surprised me by giving me one too. She whispered in my ear, "Happy birthday Carter," before she ran down the walk and disappeared in the house. I didn't know she even knew today was my birthday. Just goes to show you, little sisters (especially Sadie) will always surprise you.

We had the taxi driver take us to a hotel so we could rent a room. Dad was going to speak at the British Museum in a few days. I was just getting ready to fall asleep when I realized something.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes Carter?"

"I don't think we ever told Sadie why we were laughing earlier."

Dad was quiet for a little while before he answered, "I think you're right Carter. I think you're right."

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**Tell me what you guys think about this. Reviews will motivate me to update faster!**


	8. 13 Years Old

**I haven't updated in a while, but now that I got my wisdom teeth out, I have time! I don't think I can write one continuous story (pain keeps interrupting my thoughts), so I'll do snippets of the day. Prepare for this to stink.**

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13 Years Old

We were in Cairo, and Dad seemed on edge. He kept looking around and refused to put down his workbag. I didn't bother asking what was going on. I never got an answer out of him. But that didn't keep me from worrying. Something that scares my dad like this is probably not the kind of thing you want to invite to your birthday party. Get it? Cause today's my birthday? Oh, never mind.

Also, ever since about a year ago, Dad had gotten extra nervous every time we were in Cairo. You would think an Egyptologist would be happy to be in Cairo. Just another reason to make me worry even more.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

I was hot and sweaty. Being outside for hours on end in Cairo in the middle of the summer will do that to you. It was lunch time and Dad had said we could go back to the hotel to have lunch. I went to go look for him because now I was hot, sweaty, and hungry. It didn't take long for me to find him, but when I did, I didn't want to interrupt him. He was staring out at the horizon. He was thinking about mom.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

I was picking at my falafel when I blurted out, "Tell me the story of how you and mom met." I didn't look up, just stared at my food like it was very interesting.

"You want to hear the story?"

"Yes." Even though I've heard it so many times, I wanted to hear it again. It seemed to be one of the few things that I knew about my mom.

"Well-" Dad stopped. "Carter, stay here. I'll be right back." Without any further explanation, he got up, grabbed his workbag, and left. He took his workbag. This can't be good.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

I waited for a while, my unease growing the longer Dad was gone. Then I heard something that made my blood go cold. Then I heard it again. Gunshots. Not thinking, I run downstairs to the lobby and see my dad zipping up his workkbag. I look up and see three unconscious men hanging by their feet by the chandelier. Their robes are hanging over their heads and you can see their boxer shorts. One of them is wearing Mario and Luigi boxer shorts. I'm not joking. I probably would have laughed if I hadn't been absolutely terrified at the moment. I was getting ready to ask where the gunshots came from when I saw three guns lying neatly on a table in the lobby.

Dad looks up and says, "Didn't I tell you to stay in the room?" I was too stunned to answer.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The next day on the news I saw our hotel. The news anchor was saying that three gunmen had stormed our hotel, but were somehow stopped in their tracks by a freak chandelier malfunction. Sure.

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**I can barely complete a thought at the moment. The pain seems to be getting worse as the day goes on. Anyway, I told you this chapter would suck. I think I might write a story about how Julius and Ruby meet. I'll work on that. Review and I'll give you a virtual pie!**


	9. 15 Years Old

**I'm sorry all of you who reviewed and didn't get their virtual pie until yesterday. I kinda forgot... *smiles sheepishly* Anyway, enjoy! For you Zarter lovers, it starts NOW! *maniacal laughter***

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15 Years Old

"Walt, have you seen Sadie anywhere? I need to talk to her. It's kinda urgent." It was more than urgent, it was life or death. For all of us. I just didn't want to push the guy. He's been getting a lot worse and if I'm right, he'll need his strength tonight.

"I think she's in the library." Man, he sounded horrible, too. I hate asking him to help us out, but we need him.

"Thanks." I ran into the library and collided with Cleo. "Cleo, I'm sorry. That was my fault."

She didn't seem to mind. "Actually, I was looking for you. I wanted to talk to you abou-"

"Cleo, I'm kind of in a hurry at the moment. Later."

"But this is important!"

"Cleo, later. Now where is Sadie?"

"It's about Apophis!" The temperature in the room dropped. She caught my attention now.

"What about him?" My meeting with Sadie could wait. If Cleo wanted to talk about something like Apophis, then it's probably important.

"I think I know why he's attacking certain museums. I did some research on the museums that he attacked, and saw that they all have one artifact in common. The Book of Overcoming Apophis. The one written by Prince Khaemwaset, or Setne, which is how most people know him. Only six of them exist. Well, now only two."

"Does, does Toronto have it?" If they did, then Cleo was right about what Apophis was after, and that meant we would be one step closer to winning this war.

"Yeah, I don't know about the others, but I'm sure about Toronto." I was so happy, I wanted to hug her. But, I needed to find Sadie and tell her the news.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"You heard Apophis talking about Toronto?"

"Yep."

"Cleo figured out what he's after?"

"Yep."

"And this is going to happen in a few hours?"

"Yep."

"Then let's go." Sadie was taking this better than I expected. I was almost expecting her to argue with me about something. Sadie usually doesn't agree with anybody until you fight about it for a bit. Except Walt. "Are you coming or not? We don't have much time!"

It took longer than I would have liked to round up our team of misfits. Felix wouldn't stop messing with his penguins, Alyssa refused to come until this clay bowl she was making was finished, and Walt was moving as fast as he could, which wasn't very fast. But, eventually we were all piled in the boat that was pulled by my maniac griffin, Freak, and we were on our way. To what, though, we didn't know.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

We got there in the middle of what looked like a fireworks show. It was close enough to the Fourth of July that people probably thought it was. Which is why we needed to end it before people started to come.

I stood up in the boat (which wasn't easy) and started giving orders. "Alyssa, take advantage of the gardens. Walt, do you have any amulets that can help?"

"Of course."

"Good. Felix... Summon some killer penguins or something." I looked at Sadie. "Ready?"

"Not like I have much of a choice." Way to sound upbeat Sadie.

"Great. Let's go."

We dropped down into the middle of the battle. The Toronto magicians were in full-out battle mode with Apophis' demon army. I saw hieroglyphs, sticks, shoes, and cheese flying all over the place. On the magicians' side, I saw combat avatars and staffs morphing into lions. On the demons' side, I saw some with horseshoes between their shoulders and others with tattoos that said "DEMON PRIDE" and other things I'd rather not repeat.

Sadie and I ran to the Egyptian exhibit, trying to avoid demons and such on the way. We managed to get there with minor cuts and bruises. There was just one problem. We couldn't find the scroll. "It should be here!" I didn't see any scroll anywhere and the room was strangely clean and quiet compared to the rest of the museum. That should have clued me off immediately that something was wrong. But, of course, it didn't.

"You're too late Carter and Sadie." The voice from my nightmares was echoing throughout the room. Apophis. "You cannot beat me. I battled for eons with Ra and I'm still strong. Do you think two children can defeat me?" I could feel his power radiating through the room. I could feel myself growing tired and I kept thinking, "I just need to give up. It's the only way."

Apophis had definitely grown stronger since we last met. I was about ready to surrender to Apophis (and I'm ashamed of myself) when Sadie yelled some choice words. I won't tell you what they are, but use your imagination.

Sadly, that didn't even phase him. "Sadie, Sadie. Don't you know it's not nice to yell at your elders? I'm going to have to punish you for that." Sadie had about a millisecond to react before she was attacked by some of the artificial mummies in the room. I heard her say, "Not again!" before I was standing in... My living room. From when we lived in Los Angeles.

I looked around and saw my family. Complete and living. "Isn't this what you want Carter? A normal life, where you don't have to worry about war? I can make that happen. Yield to me and what you see is what you'll get. Think of it as a birthday present."

I have to say, it was tempting. I've been yearning for a normal life since I was seven. Then reality broke my daydream. "You really think I'm going to believe you? I may not have a normal life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Got it?"

"Then don't expect to live another year. Goodbye Carter Kane." The "normal Kane family" dissolved and I stood facing a miniature Apophis. Now remember how big Apophis can be. When I say miniature, I don't mean a three foot tall snake. I mean a thirteen foot tall, killer snake, that was out for my blood. My day kept getting better and better.

I summoned my combat avatar, but before I could do anything Apophis was ha-died by none other than my annoying sister, Sadie Kane. That definitely caught his attention. "Come and get me you spineless snake!" She caught my eye and I nodded. Time to go round up the others.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"You're going back. Sadie and I will be fine." Walt, Felix, and Alyssa refused to go back to Brooklyn without us. But they were going to and they just hadn't realized it yet.

"Carter, you can't handle this on your own. You need our help!" Walt was trying to get me to let them stay when he looked ready to drop any second. He wasn't helping himself.

"Walt, have you seen yourself? You're going back to Brooklyn House." He opened his mouth, but Felix whispered something in his ear that made him stop.

"Fine. See you at Brooklyn." With that, he got in the boat and Freak took off, flying far away from Toronto.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The Egyptian room was a mess. Sadie didn't help anything when she collapsed the roof on Apophis' head. She also didn't help me by collapsing afterward. "Sadie," I muttered to myself, "you've got to stop doing that."

After dragging her out of the mess she made and laying her on the only flat thing I could find, I took in the destruction of the One Hundredth Nome. Nothing was left. Nobody was left. The only thing that stood out among the rubble was a red hieroglyph. _Isfet. _Chaos.

"Did I do it?" I turned around to see Sadie sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. "Judging by the lack of a giant snake, I'll say yes." She took one look at my face and said quietly, "No one?"

I shook my head. "Let's get out of here." I opened up a portal to Brooklyn House, preparing myself to tell everybody the news.

I wasn't expecting anybody to be on the roof, so when I stepped into a surprise birthday party, I was, well, surprised. "What the Horus is going on?"

Walt walked up to me and said, "Dude, did you not hear us yell 'Happy Birthday Carter?' You need to pay attention more."

Sadie came through the portal. "Did you know about this?"

She just laughed at me. "Oh, brother dear. You can be so naïve. I planned it." She looked very pleased with herself. "Now run along and open the present we got you. I'm going to go wash up."

Shelby runs up to me and says, "Follow me!" She grabs a few of my fingers in her tiny hand and pulls me to the table. On it is a giant cake (enough to feed everybody) and a bowl. Shelby climbs up on a chair, picks up the bowl, and hands it to me. "Happy Birfday!"

"Um, thanks, for the, uh, bowl." I take it from her and realize it was the bowl Alyssa was making earlier today.

"It's more than just a bowl. It's a scrying dish. I meant to make you a new one earlier since it kinda got knocked over a rail a few months ago. I just haven't had time. I have the oil upstairs if you want to try it out. I also think Sadie planned a chat between you and Zia."

I could feel my heart speed up. "Of course she did. Let's have cake first, I think Felix is about to have a heart attack." Sure enough, Felix was staring at the cake like it was the last sugary thing on earth.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

A piece of birthday cake and a ginger ale later, I was talking to Zia Rashid.

"Sadie told me it was your birthday." She looked beautiful. Her hair was longer since I last saw her and her amber eyes were shining. And she was smiling at me, which almost made me forget about earlier today. Almost. "I heard about Toronto. You know everybody's going to blame you."

"Yeah, a great way to spend a birthday, right?"

She laughed (I love her laugh) and said, "I'm sorry, Carter, I have to go. Amos wants to see me over at the First Nome."

"Tell him I said hi." I was disappointed and yet relieved that Zia had to go. I was disappointed because this is the first time we've talked in months and the conversation lasted two minutes. I was relieved because I had no clue what to say.

"Bye Carter." Zia waved her hand over the oil and her face disappeared.

"Bye."

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**So that was my longest chapter so far! I feel accomplished. I'm going to try and update ASAP. Now, REVIEW! Please?**


	10. 16 Years Old

**Ok, so I really just wanted to update before I went on vacation. I'm kinda making this up as I go, so sorry if this is kind of cheesy or something... **_Flashbacks!_

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16 Years Old

A word to the wise; never let a five year old plan your birthday party. I learned that the hard way. Let me tell you what happened.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_"Carter, you've got to have a party! It's your birthday!" Little Shelby looked on the verge of tears. She heard me talking about not wanting to turn my birthday into this elaborate thing. Really, I didn't even want to celebrate it. I just wanted to have a small dinner with Zia. But one look in those blue eyes told me that that dinner wasn't going to happen._

_ "How about I go buy a cake at the store and-"_

_ "And Sadie and I can make decorations and Walt and Zia can get you presents and we can all sing happy birthday for you!" Shelby was getting herself worked up over another person's birthday party. "I'm going to go tell everybody!" Shelby then ran off and started yelling, "Carter's having a birthday party! A BIRTHDAY PARTY!"_

_ I just smiled to myself and went to go get my birthday cake._

_ I was just walking around the local grocery store, killing time, when I heard a "Hey." I spun around and saw Zia standing behind me._

_ "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to help set up." When I had left Shelby was pulling Zia by the hand and telling her the plan for the party._

_ "Shelby kicked me out. I apparently was ruining her present she was making for you." Zia walked up next to me and took a hold of my hand. "She's very serious about this you know."_

_ "Every five year old is serious when cake is involved."_

_ "Carter, I mean it. She really does care about you." She squeezed my hand and said, "Now let's __pick out your cake."_

_ After much debate we picked out a cake that said 'Happy Birthday Buckaroo!' It was cowboy themed and the only birthday cake they had. Oh well, a cake is a cake._

_ Zia and I came home to chaos. And I speak from experience. The place was a wreck. Chairs were toppled over and someone let Freak inside. I found some griffin poop in a corner. When Shelby saw me she started crying. "Your party is ruined! It's my fault, too!" She ran off, to her room most likely._

_ "Not what I was expecting," I told Zia. _

_ "I'll start cleaning up. I might need help though. Where is everybody else?" Now that Zia said that, I realized that we were the only people in the room._

_ "Maybe Shelby kicked them out too?" It seemed reasonable. Zia was kicked out._

_ "I guess so. Now go talk to her." Zia gave me the look that said 'You better talk to her now, before I make you.'_

_ "On it."_

_ I found Shelby crying on her bed. When she saw me walk in she said, "I'm sorry Carter. Your birthday party was supposed to be special."_

_ I sat down next to her. "It was special. Do you think any other five year olds have ever planned a birthday party? That's special."_

_ She sniffed. "But it was ruined."_

_ "Do you think I care? You wanted to make sure that my birthday was the best ever. People say this all the time, 'It's the thought that counts.' Do you know what that means?" She shook her head. "It means that you really wanted me to have a party, and you tried to make one for me. Sure, it didn't go as planned, but you thought about me. That's the best birthday present I could get."_

_ "Really?"_

_ "Really." Shelby smiled at me and then I was attacked with a bear hug. When I thought I was going to suffocate she let go. "Now I have a question to ask you."_

_ "What?"_

_ "Where is everybody?"_

_ She looked a little nervous when she finally said, "I locked them in your bedroom because I thought they were going to mess up your party. I used a new spell Felix taught me to make sure they couldn't get out."_

_ That explains the mystery of the missing initiates. "Well let's go get them out and then we'll have some cake."_

_ "Ok!" Mention cake to a five year old and everything's ok._

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

All of Brooklyn House was sitting around the table enjoying some good ole cowboy birthday cake. Zia came over after getting her slice and sat down next to me. "Shelby looks a lot happier than she did earlier. I'm guessing the talk worked?"

'What can I say? I'm just really good with kids." I meant it as a joke, but Zia seemed to take this seriously.

"You know, I think you'll make a great dad someday."

I could feel my face growing hot. How are you supposed to respond to that? I must have looked really stupid because Zia laughed. "It was a joke Carter." She pecked my lips before she got up from the couch.

"Wait, are you saying I wouldn't make a great dad?"

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**I think that you people should fill my inbox with a gazillion reviews so I'll be overwhelmed by the time I get back from vacation on Saturday. Just a thought. :) Hope you enjoyed it!**


	11. 17 Years Old

**To all of you who reviewed, I'm sorry I couldn't answer you personally... But thanks! And I made the picture for the story. I got kinda bored on the long drive and decided to make something. :)**

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17 Years Old

Ever since that little incident we had last year with Shelby, we decided everybody gets a party up until they're 18. One more year of headache for me, then I'm home free. I was kind of nervous today, but not about the party. The party was actually very mild compared to some other ones we've had before. There was a little penguin incident during Felix's birthday. We're still trying to figure out how he managed to fit a few hundred penguins into the Great Room.

What I was really nervous about was my date with Zia. We hadn't exactly had time to ourselves since Armageddon. It's pathetic, I know, but it's hard running a Nome filled with a bunch of kids. Very demanding.

Also, it's not like we were going anywhere fancy or special, just a quiet walk through the park. If you say it out loud it sounds cheesy, but I was nervous nonetheless. I didn't want to dress up and at the same time I didn't want to look like I didn't care. What if I said something stupid?

I'm acting like this is a first date. I've known Zia for about three years now. It's going to be fine. Nothing's going to go wrong.

I'm not a very convincing liar.

I finally settled with a nice t-shirt and shorts. There's one problem out of the way. I found Zia out on the terrace, feeding Philip some leftover bacon from breakfast. She was wearing a pair of capris and a shirt that Shelby had made her for HER birthday. Shelby demanded that her presents be homemade. Mostly that meant that we do the hard stuff and she gets to decorate.

"Hello Carter." Zia didn't even have to turn around to know I was coming.

"Hey. Ready to go?"

"Let me finish feeding Philip first. He seems to be enjoying this." She smiled at me and handed me some strips of bacon. "Watch this." Zia tossed up two strips of bacon in the air, about a crocodile's length apart. Philip, surprisingly agile for an animal his size, sprung into the air, catching one of the strips in his mouth and hitting the other with his tail, causing it to fly into his open mouth. All of that happened before he even started to fall back down. When he hit the water, about half of the water in the pool went out in a splash. It didn't hit me or Zia. What it did hit was an invisible was an invisible wall that seemed to go all the way around the pool.

I looked at her and she said, "_Drowah._ Boundary. I made it just so the water couldn't get out, but I could still throw the bacon in."

"Wow. Impressive."

"What can I say, he's one smart crocodile." She tossed in another piece of bacon.

I followed suit and said, "I was talking about what you did."

"What, tossing the bacon? It's not that very impressive Carter."

"No, the wall around the pool. What would make you think about tossing bacon?" This conversation was veering way off course, and I had no idea why.

"Oh, that? That's nothing either. I learned how to do that during my first year of training."

"Just the fact that you thought of it. I probably would've just been soaked to the bone before it even occurred to me to do something like that."

Zia seemed to be considering this. "Probably. Now will you do the honors of feeding Philip his last piece of bacon for the day?" She said this last bit in a British accent. Coming out of Zia's mouth, it sounded pretty funny.

I said, also in a British accent, "Why, of course, my lady." I bowed dramatically and tossed Philip his bacon with a flourish. "Now what do you fancy on doing this evening?"

She took my hand in hers and replied, "Why, thank you for asking. I do believe just a small walk in the park and some supper would suffice." We started walking towards the door when she added, "Only if I get to do it with you."

We were both enjoying ourselves, talking in our accents. "That's a splendid idea. There's simply nothing I would like to do more!"

We couldn't take it anymore and just busted out laughing on the spot. When I was closing the door behind me, I heard Sadie yell, "Stop mocking my accent! Besides, you're doing it wrong. Your-" I closed the door so I didn't have to listen to her monologue. Zia and I both started laughing again and we definitely weren't going to stop anytime soon. I was stupid for worrying so much before.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Zia and I were finishing off the "house special" pizza at Ignazios Pizza when I heard some kids at the next table talking in British accents like Zia and I had earlier.

"Hey Zia?"

"Yeah?"

"I know this is completely off topic, but have you noticed that when people talk in British accents, they start a lot of their sentences with 'why?'"

She blinked at my extremely random question, but must have heard the kids next to us. She looked over at them, and when she looked back at me, she was smiling. "They do, don't they? Too bad Sadie doesn't talk like that. That would be hilarious."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The sun was starting to set, but neither of us had any intention of going back to Brooklyn House. We were hand in hand, not talking to each other, just enjoying each others company. It was a nice change from the constant noise back home. I would take a comfortable silence over a friendly talk any day. Silence speaks volumes. The only thing we had said to each other was:

"Carter?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

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**Yay mushy/cheesy endings! It just hit me a few days ago that this story is almost over. :'( A depressing thought, isn't it?**


	12. 18 Years Old

**I felt like writing this today since its MY birthday! A good way to end, in my opinion.**

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18 Years Old

When I woke up this morning I wasn't expecting to be trapped in my room for five hours. I didn't really have any plans, but I did want to spend a majority of the day OUT of my room. During those five hours of confinement, I read The Book Thief, a personal favorite of mine, and still had time to kill.

Sadie finally came in around 1 o'clock and said, "Move it prisoner, we're losing daylight!" I threw my pillow at her in response.

We made our way to the Great Room and when I saw it, my jaw dropped. Everybody in Brooklyn House was there, but I saw a few people that I wasn't really expecting. I saw my parents, both my mom and dad, Amos, Sirius, and the cake I never got to eat on seventh birthday because Sadie puked on it.

"How..." was all I could get out, I was too stunned. The Great Room wasn't only packed, but there were streamers hanging from the ceiling, balloons, the usual birthday stuff, just on steroids. Now I know why I was locked in my room for five hours.

"How? Magic. And let me tell you, I'm exhausted. Now don't just stand there, it is _your _party." I guess Sadie thought I wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon because she shoved me. "Go. Go have fun or whatever." I decided to go talk to Mom and Dad first.

I made my way to them and was greeted with a hug. "I can't believe you're 18. Last I remember, you were just learning how to walk." I could hear Dad getting emotional, and he never get's emotional.

I kept hugging him and said, "I'm still your son. Nothing's going to change that."

"I know that." He let go of me and looked me in the eye. "Its still hard."

"Especially when we had to watch you from a distance." I don't know how my mom managed to get here, but I guess with Dad being Osiris, he could do things like that. "Letting you two go was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. I'll always regret not spending more time with you." I've never seen a ghost cry, but I think I was about to. "And I promised myself I wouldn't cry!"

I've always felt uncomfortable around crying people, especially if they're my mom. "Mom, mom, don't cry. It's fine." My first instinct was to hug her, but with her being a ghost, that's kind of not possible. I just stood there awkwardly while my mom pulled herself together.

She looked at me and I could tell she was holding back tears. "Happy birthday Carter. Come visit us soon."

"Wait, you're leaving?" I don't know what I was expecting, but I kinda hoped they would've stayed around longer.

"We wish we didn't have to," Dad began, "but we can only come out of the Underworld for so long."

"Oh." I was kind of hoping to introduce them to a few people. Well, one in particular. I've been wanting them to meet her for a while now, but I've never had the time. My eyes drifted to Zia, who was standing by the statue of Thoth, talking to Jaz.

I guess my parents followed my gaze because Mom said, "She's a great girl Carter."

I was kind of flustered by that statement, but I said, "Yeah, she is."

Dad smiled at me and said, "Happy birthday Carter," before he and Mom opened up a portal and went back to the Underworld.

Afterwords I just mingled. Small conversations here and there, catching up with people I haven't seen in a while. The cake was served, and I must say, it was delicious. Now I know why Sadie was so desperate to eat it all those years ago. It didn't look like much, just a vanilla cake with blue icing, but I don't care what it looks like, the taste made up for it.

There was one person I hadn't talked to yet and I really wanted to. I tracked down Zia and sat next to her. "So you finally met my parents?"

"Yeah, Sadie introduced us. I think we got along great."

"Well they both really liked you."

"I'm glad to hear that, because we have been dating for a few years now." She looked up at me and her amber eyes sparkled with amusement. "It would've been kind of awkward if they didn't like the idea of us dating."

I took her hand in mine and said, "Yes, yes it would."

We both just sat together in silence for a minute. It was Zia who broke the silence. One minute we were just holding hands and the next I felt her lips on mine. We probably would have kept kissing if Sadie hadn't have interrupted us. "Hey lovebirds, quit it, there are little kids here." You can always count on Sadie to ruin a great moment.

Zia just rolled her eyes and pecked my lips. "Happy birthday Carter."

The End

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**It's over. My most successful story is over. If you're reading this, feel free to review to express ANY thoughts on this story. But first, let me give you the list of all who has reviewed thus far:**

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**I-Live-Outside-The-Box**


	13. Bonus Chapter: 30 Years Old

**BONUS CHAPTER! SURPRISE!**

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30 Years Old

I've never liked rude awakenings. Especially at six o'clock in the morning. Little kids never seem to stay asleep past seven o'clock, and to them, that's sleeping in. But, when they're mine and wishing me a happy birthday, it's not hard to forgive them.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Daddy, we're going to make a special breakfast just for you," my oldest daughter, Sara, was jumping up and down on the bed. "Mommy, I need your help and David won't help me because he's only three. You said that if we do make a special breakfast for Daddy I would have to come and get you because a five-year-old is too little to make breakfast by herself. I'm five, which means I need help making Daddy's special birthday breakfast."

I heard Zia groan as she rolled out of bed, remembering her promise and also remembering that if you ever promise Sara something, you keep that promise. "Next time," she said, looking at me, "you're making breakfast for me." She then picked Sara up off of our bed and I heard her say, "What do you want to make Daddy for his special birthday breakfast?"before she gently closed the door behind her.

I decided that since I was already awake, I might as well get ready for the day. Ever since we had Sara, Zia and I had no chance of sleeping in past seven. The perks of being a parent of a five-year-old and a three-year-old.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

I showered and dressed quickly. I knew Sara wouldn't like to wait long to show me her culinary masterpiece. I still had time to spare, though, so I went and got David up. I guess it was a good thing I did because he was awake whenever I went into his bedroom. Ever since he turned two, he's had to have been watched constantly. I can already tell that he's going to be a fire elementalist, just like his mother. Just ask the burnt couch. Or the burnt table. Or chairs. Or anything else in this house. It's all caught on fire at least once.

Anyway, I got David ready and walked out to find the semi-burnt dining room table to be completely covered in pancakes. I stood there, kind of confused on why we needed so many pancakes when Zia said, "Sara thought you would be really hungry so she made you a lot of pancakes. She was very worried that you wouldn't get enough to eat, hence all of the pancakes on the table."

"Can I tell him why we made pancakes? Please?" Sara came running out of the kitchen, covered with pancake mix. "Mommy said that for your first birthday, you had pancakes because Grandma knocked your real cake on the floor! Happy birthday Daddy! We love you!" I snuck a look at Zia and she pretended to ignore me, smiling.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

That whole day was a hectic mess filled with a very hyper five-year-old and a very flammable three-year-old. It wasn't until later that night when Sara and David were finally in bed that Zia and I could enjoy some time alone. All day she had looked like she wanted to tell me something and I was curious.

We sat down on the unburned side of the couch and quietly enjoyed each others company until Zia broke the silence. "You're birthday isn't over until you get the last present."

"Is that so? I didn't know I was getting a present."

She laid her head on my shoulder and I pulled her closer to me. "I wouldn't call it yours, so much as _ours_."

"Really? Well don't keep me waiting, I want to know what this present of _ours_ is."

"How would you like another baby? Even if you wouldn't like another baby, we're getting one anyway." Just by the way she said it, I could tell she was smiling.

I kissed her lightly on top of her head and whispered, "The best birthday present ever."

* * *

**You're welcome. Like it? Love it? Hate it? Meh? Hopefully not the last two, but I would like to know either way. I officially declare this fanfic over and I thank all of my readers for your continued support. I hope you enjoyed _Happy Birthday Carter_.**

**I-Live-Outside-The-Box**


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